Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-06
Continued from yesterday.)
DARING AND SUFFERING.
A History of the Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1862.

Our escape on this run was exceedingly
narrow. The passenger train had begun
to move Out before we arrived, but it had
only Just got under way while we were
slackcning up for the station. minute
earlier in their starting would have ended
the raid. But seeing Us coming, and our
whistle sounding out loud and peremp-
tory. they backed before US up the track,
and the proper officer obligingly opened
the switch to let US on the side track OF
course this was done as much in the in
terest Of the passenger train, which could
not go on till We were GU. Of the way, rs
In ours.
Bnt they did not go on for some time
and we we're obliged 10 await their move
raents In backing they had gone far
enough, not only to give Us room on the
side track. but also, as their train was a
long one. to completely block the far end
of it, and We could not proceed on the
main track until they should pull ahead
Before doing this they naturally wanted
some explanation The lateness 81 the
regular train; our having Ful,.r's engine,
without him or any Of his men; and not
least, the manner in which we had
swooped down upon them like some beast
Of prey. coming without any signal man
ahead at time when under railroad rules
they were entitled to the rOad-ail this,
which only some most urgent occasion or
public cilInity could excuse, called for
explanation. Andrews calmly told his
story and the urgent need Of ammunition
wa II So justify everything and all the
questions were asked and answered that
are common among railroad men On meet
Ing Yet Andrews would have talked
little and would have made a very short
stop, had 1t not been for the manner in
which the passenger train bound in his
own. We had good right To be uneasy
here, for we had not cut the wires between
this station and Adairsville because we
had not dared, in the terrible urgency II
reaching Calhoun, To delay even for this
purpose \ question might come on the
wires ut any moment which Andrews,
with all his adroitness, would not find it
easy to answer Neither had we put any
Instructions on the track This latter
omission prepared the way for another
race against time, only less swift and fear
full than our own.
Thus we we've again delayed Andrews
tried gentle and indirect means to per
suade the conductor Of the passenger train
that 1t was perfectly safe for him to run
down and get 10 Adairsvile before Full
ler's passenger train. But he was not
easily persuaded The bare escape from
collision with our train had shaken his
nerves too much for him to wish at once
TO repeat the experience. Neither did he
seem at all in a hurry to move his train
ahead and let lis out on the main track;
but as his train was the only obstacle, it
would not have been long, had he contin-
ucd Obstinate until the reserve force Of
our party would have been brought into
requiSiton. II may he said here that An
drews was perfectly sincere in telling him
that there would he abundant time for
him to reach Adnirsviie before Fuller
with his train would be along. We did
not think that Fuller would be along
that day, aud with his own train he was
not But MS matters were, if the Calhoun
man had allowed himself 10 be persuaded
TO start southwark, fearful collision
would have ended all possibilities Of pur-
suit and left Ms free to burn bridges at
our leisure. Here was another Of the mar
row escapes made 10y the enemy To un-
dcrstaud this it is necessary to recur TO
Fuller and Murphy, who were within two
or three minutes of Kingston when We
left that place.
They were terribly disappointed when
they found themselves stopped quite
long distance below Kingston hy three
heavy freight trains and learned in
brief conversation with the engineer of
the nearest and the persons who had run
down that WAY on hearing their whistle,
that their game had flown. They heard
with wonder how long the commander of
the captured train had been held there,
and how he had succeeded in coucealing
his real character The formidable nature
90 81.